Nike, Under Armour interested in Mexican footwear suppliers

US sports giants Nike and Under Armour are scouting for footwear suppliers in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico.

Nike is looking for Guanajuato-based suppliers to develop its footwear models - El EconomistaAccording to local newspaper El Sol de León, Mexico's Coordinator for the Promotion of Foreign Trade (COFOCE) and the Association of Industrial Companies of Mexico (APIMEX) are helping Nike and Under Armour find Guanajuato-based suppliers which meet their specifications and could become partners in the medium term.

Specifically, both brands are reportedly seeking local companies able to develop and manufacture footwear products. Large-scale output capacity is an important selection criterion, since both Nike and Under Armour deal with very large orders.

This is not the first time that either group is approaching suppliers from the state of Guanajuato, Mexico's foremost footwear production hub. Last September, both Nike and Under Armour sought partners that could meet their quality standards and specific certifications requirements, for supplying Mexico-manufactured shoes to the USA and Canada.

In addition to sports brands, in recent months other international groups such as Kenneth Cole and ADOC have shown interest in Guanajuato-based factories and suppliers.

Guanajuato is currently the main footwear-producing state in Mexico. According to official figures, 71.28% of the total value of Mexico's domestic footwear output comes from Guanajuato. In the first quarter 2017, Guanajuato-based suppliers exported 3.4 million pairs of shoes, generating a revenue of more than $59.5 million and carving up a 56% share of national footwear exports in value and 63% in volume, according to figures by COFOCE.